


Letting Go

by Brumeier



Series: Bite Sized Fic [12]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Family, Kid Fic, M/M, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-19
Updated: 2016-01-19
Packaged: 2018-05-15 01:27:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5766664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brumeier/pseuds/Brumeier
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>LJ Comment Fic for Growing Up prompt: <i>author's choice, any parent + any child, can't protect them forever</i></p><p>In which it's time for AJ to start school, and Rodney has a hard time letting go.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Letting Go

“I don’t see why this is necessary.” Rodney’s arms were crossed and his mouth was twisted unhappily. “I can easily teach him everything he needs to know.”

“It’s not about that and you know it.” John mirrored his stance. “Stop being so obstinate.” 

“He’s too smart for them.”

“No, he isn’t.”

Rodney glared at him. “Are you saying our son isn’t smart?” 

“No. Would you stop that?” John sighed, and held up his hands in surrender. “Rodney, he needs to socialize. He needs to spend time with his peers.”

It wasn’t the first time they’d had a discussion about sending AJ to school. Now that there were more families living on Atlantis, and a proper school to teach them in, John thought it was appropriate that their son be part it. At first he’d thought Rodney was just being arrogant, wanting to home school AJ. He was starting to think it was about something else entirely, and Rodney soon proved him right.

“They won’t like him,” Rodney said in a small voice. His whole posture deflated and he stared at the floor. 

“Hey.” John crossed the room in two long strides and put his hand on Rodney’s arm. He ducked his head, trying to make eye contact. “It won’t be like that for AJ.”

“You don’t know that,” Rodney muttered. But he raised his head and looked at John, misery written all over his face.

“Yes. I do. He’ll have Torren there to watch out for him, and you know that Valentina dotes on him. He won’t be alone.” John pressed a kiss to Rodney’s temple. “More importantly, he has us. We’re better parents than ours were.”

“That’s true.”

“You can’t protect him forever, Rodney. He has to make his own way.”

It wasn’t that John didn’t have his own fears about AJ moving into a bigger world. All parents did. But he knew Rodney’s childhood had been awkward and painful, and that Rodney would do anything to keep AJ from going through the same thing. It was sweet, and a little heartbreaking.

John pulled Rodney into a hug, as much for his own comfort as Rodney’s. He knew parenting was full of these painful milestones, but that didn’t make it any easier to go through them.

“I’m not ready,” Rodney whispered against John’s neck.

“Me either.”

And then AJ was there, trying to wriggle between them. “Huggies! Huggies!”

John laughed and scooped him up, squeezing him in a bear hug before passing him off to Rodney. “Poppa needs extra huggies.”

AJ flung his arms around Rodney’s neck and hugged him tight, making a little humming sound as he did so, and followed that up with a loud, smacking kiss to the cheek. Rodney’s eyes were a little bright, but he was smiling and laughing.

“Is it tomorrow? Is school tomorrow?”

“It sure is, buddy,” John said.

AJ whooped and started wriggling around so that Rodney would put him down. “I’ll pick out my clothes!”

He dashed off to his room, and then ran right back out again. “Poppa, Daddy, come help!” He held out his hands and Rodney and John each grabbed one.

Maybe it was okay to hold on a little longer.


End file.
